


Between the Pages

by TheFairieQueen



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Library, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, DGM Valentine 2018, Fluff, LaviYuu, Laviyuuweek2018, M/M, Modern AU, Slice of Life, Thunderstorms, slowburn, yuuvi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-03-18 04:05:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13673925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFairieQueen/pseuds/TheFairieQueen
Summary: Kanda didn’t get a job at a library to be social.  Lavi has other ideas. (Modern AU, Two-Shot)





	1. Between the Pages

Kanda didn’t like people, and _that_ was why he was working at a library.  
  
Not that Kanda could completely ignore people, but compared to most other jobs working at the university library was significantly better. It was quiet (for the most part), and usually the people who came in were students who tended to know what they were looking for. That is, if they even were looking for something; most students were usually just looking for a place to crash, or hang on their laptops.  
  
Kanda had no problem with this. The less interaction he had to deal with, the better.  
  
Resting his chin in the palm of his hand, Kanda glanced down at the textbook in front of him. He was currently working the circulation desk, which wasn’t exactly his favorite task to do at work. Kanda preferred having to organize and place back books that had been returned, as it gave him an excuse not to interact with others. Fortunately, the day had been quiet; since it was a Friday, not as many people were at the library. In fact, most people probably weren’t even _on_ campus anymore unless they were stuck with a later class.  
  
Actually, how many people _were_ at the library? Kanda’s dark blue eyes flickered upward, as he scanned the area. He saw only a handful of people: two guys working on what looked like homework, a girl on her laptop, and a red-headed guy in one of the aisles picking out some books.  
  
Huh. Kanda had seen the red-headed guy at the library a lot, but couldn’t remember his name. The guy had turned in a few books when he first came in, but evidently needed more for something-  
  
Unexpectedly, a pair of shockingly green eyes met Kanda’s – or, eye really, as the guy wore an eye patch over his left eye.  
  
Kanda felt himself freeze up at first; he wasn’t sure why, but he felt oddly stuck. However, as he realized he’d been caught _staring_ , Kanda speedily tore his gaze away, looking downward at his textbook.  
  
Well, _that_ was sort of awkward.  
  
_‘Whatever. It’s no big deal,’_ He reminded himself, not sure why he felt…whatever it was. Kanda didn’t know how to describe it, but it was probably nothing. It was just extra awkwardness that he did not need to deal with, and something that would be forgotten in the next 60 seconds.  
  
Sure enough, a few minutes passed, and the incident faded away. Kanda found he was struggling to focus on any reading though, as he was near the end of his shift and had less than an hour left.  
  
The sound of footsteps entered Kanda’s ears, and Kanda knew someone was approaching the circulation desk before he even looked up. Knowing he couldn’t ignore them (as much as he wished he could have), Kanda looked up and once again came face to face with an all too familiar redhead.  
  
Oh. _That_ guy.  
  
Kanda purposefully shoved any thoughts of earlier to the back of his mind, as he kept his expression neutral. “You ready to check out?” He asked somewhat flatly.  
  
Eye patch guy set a few books – well, he set like _ten_ decently sized books down – and grinned. “Yeah, I’m just checking these out today.”  
  
Kanda eyed the stack of books dubiously. _Just_ those? Well, Kanda wouldn’t question it as long as eye patch guy brought them back in one piece, and a person could technically check out up to fifteen books (not that anyone ever did). He wasn’t really sure why this guy always seemed to be checking out so many books though. Surely he wasn’t actually _reading_ them all.  
  
Kanda exhaled. “Let me see your card,” He mumbled, as eye patch guy handed it over. As Kanda took it, he glanced at the name, _Lavi Bookman_.  
  
Switftly, Kanda scanned the card before he handed it back to Lavi. He then started to scan the books one by one, making sure to stamp the due date on the card inside.  
  
Languidly, Lavi leaned with his elbows onto the desk, watching Kanda as he scanned them. “So,” He started somewhat casually, “You just started working here a few weeks ago?”  
  
Kanda paused, and glanced at Lavi warily.   Oh, god, this guy wasn’t about to make small talk with him, was he? Kanda _hated_ small talk. Looking down, Kanda went back to scanning the rest of the books. “Yeah.”  
  
Lavi nodded. “Nice. Must be pretty great getting to work here – especially with all the reading material,” He added with a smile. “You have a favorite book or anything?”  
  
Inwardly, Kanda wanted to cringe a little. Small talk was bad enough, and being asked about his favorite books wasn’t a helpful ice breaker. Especially since it wasn’t like Kanda actually did a lot of reading in his free time. In fact, Kanda had never been much into reading in general.  
  
Which of course which was a bit ironic, given he was working in a library.  
  
Kanda didn’t look at Lavi, but could feel Lavi’s piercing stare. “I’m not into reading,” He responded bluntly.  
  
Lavi’s gaze widened, as he looked genuinely surprised. The shock remained on his face for about five seconds though, before his expression broke into sheer amusement as he laughed in an oddly melodious way.  
  
Kanda immediately stopped what he was doing, and glared at Lavi in aggravation. Okay, now this guy was _really_ ticking Kanda off.  
  
Spying Kanda’s displeased reaction, Lavi caught himself as he tried to stifle his laugher. “S-Sorry,” Lavi apologized, as he attempted to gather himself. He took a breath, as he finally seemed to rid himself of any remaining laugher. However, his one visible eye still gleamed with mirth as looked at Kanda. “It’s just – how are you not into reading when you work at a _library_? Didn’t they ask you what books you like in the interview?”  
  
Kanda rolled his eyes. “Libraries are quiet, and I don’t like talking to people,” He deadpanned. Kanda wasn’t about to elaborate, and he definitely wasn’t about to go into detail about _what_ his job interview had been like.  
  
Before Lavi could speak again, Kanda quickly finished checking out the last of the books and plopped them down in front of Lavi. “They’re due in two weeks.”  
  
Lavi took the books, and nodded. “Pretty sure I’ll bring them back before then.”  
  
Kanda scoffed. “You’re not seriously reading those all, are you?”  
  
Lavi looked at Kanda with a raised brow, before his lips quirked upward. “What, you think I can’t?”  
  
Brows furrowed, Kanda looked at the books. “You have _ten._ ”  
  
“Yeah? What’s the issue?”  
  
“They’re each over 300 _pages_.”  
  
Lavi chuckled. “Believe it or not, I actually like reading,” He said. Lavi hesitated, and looked at one book he had checked out before looking at Kanda. “Actually, you might like this one – you should read it.”  
  
Kanda’s face scrunched up a little. “I have enough reading with classes,” He responded, instantly shooting down Lavi’s suggestion. “If you’re so adamant about read it, read it yourself.”  
  
Lavi clicked his tongue. “Tsk – _touchy_ , I see,” He scolded in something of a playful tone. “I’ll just be sure to be extra speedy about reading it over the weekend then so you can give it a go.”  
  
A soft snort escaped Kanda. “Sure,” He grumbled, though there was an edge of sarcasm to his voice. Lavi could brag all he wanted about getting these books knocked out quickly, but Kanda was highly doubtful that Lavi would finish any of them over the _weekend_.  
  
Lavi grinned.  “I’ll see you around…” He trailed off, looking a little sheepish suddenly.  “Ah, what’s your name again?”  
  
“It’s Kanda,” Kanda answered briskly.  Normally, he wouldn’t have so blatantly handed out his name like that, but at this point he just wanted Lavi to leave.  
  
Nodding, Lavi waved.  “Alright – I’ll see you around, Kanda.”  
  
Kanda didn’t bother to respond.  


* * *

  
  
The weekend passed quickly, and on Monday late afternoon Kanda was back at work.   He once again was stuck at the circulation desk, although it was only for the next hour until the other student worker returned from their break.  
  
So far, things had been uneventful.  Kanda hoped it would stay that way.  
  
“Hey, Kanda!”  
  
Or not.  
  
Kanda recognized the voice, and internally groaned.  It was  _Monday_  – did Lavi  _really_  have to come back to the library already?  
  
Kanda glanced up briefly, of course seeing Lavi there at the desk.  He noticed Lavi had some books with him, but Kanda didn’t allow his gaze to linger before he glanced back down to the calculus homework he’d been working on.  
  
For a fleeting second, there was a perplexed look on Lavi’s face, but he seemed to gather himself quickly enough.  He placed the books down on the counter.  “I was returning these.”  
  
Looking up, Kanda eyed the books: four of what Lavi had checked out Friday.  Kanda raised an eyebrow.  “You change your mind?”  
  
Lavi beamed.  “Nah.  I finished them.”  
  
Kanda’s expression was dubious, and he looked back at the books.  No way.  There was  _no way_  Lavi actually read all those.  Even if he was a freakishly intense bookworm, how was he living if he spent  _that_  much time reading?  
  
Kanda frowned.  “You could have just put them in the drop slot,” He pointed out, not sure why Lavi had felt the need to stop and say anything.  
  
Shrugging, Lavi placed his hands into his pockets.  “But then I wouldn’t get to talk to you,” He commented, as he offered a smile that god forbid might have been called _charming_.  
  
Kanda quickly shifted his thoughts as soon as he realized he had thought such a thing. He felt a little rigid, but tried not to pay it any mind “Tch. There’s nothing to talk about.”  
  
Lavi exhaled, the sensation slightly overdramatized. “Man, you are the _friendliest_ person,” Lavi sighed in clear sarcasm. There was no malicious tone to his words as he spoke though, and as he looked at Kanda his expression contained what appeared to be hints of amusement. “I did want to remind you about that book though – the one you should read.”  
  
Kanda’s eyes flickered to the stack of books Lavi was returning, then to Lavi. Truthfully, Kanda couldn’t even remember which book it was Lavi had suggested Kanda might like – which of course, was unlikely. Lavi didn’t know anything about Kanda, so how could he possibly know what Kanda might be interested in?  
  
With slight annoyance, Kanda looked at Lavi. “I don’t have extra time for reading.”  
  
Lavi didn’t give up, and pulled a book from the pile. He placed it in front of Kanda. “Well, at least look on page 180. Do that and let me know what you think.”  
  
Kanda raised an eyebrow suspiciously. He then looked at the book: it was on different plants.  
  
Huh. Kanda actually _was_ into botany. In fact, gardening was a hobby of his.  
  
…Not that he’d admit that to Lavi. He didn’t need Lavi thinking he knew Kanda that well or anything weird.  
  
Kanda shrugged as he crossed his arms. “I’ll look at it later. Just stop pestering me about it,” He grumbled.  
  
Oddly enough, Lavi seemed appeased by this. His gaze was bright. “Great!” He spoke, flashing yet another vibrant smile.   Lavi’s expression shifted slightly, as he looked as though he had just recalled something, and he quickly added, “Just…make sure you look at it before you check that book out to someone else, okay?”  
  
A frown appeared on Kanda’s face. What the hell? Why would Kanda have to look at the page first? “…Sure….” Kanda responded, not entirely certain of how he was supposed to take Lavi’s unusual specification.  
  
Lavi relaxed a little, his grin returning. “Alright, well I’ll see you later. Gotta get through those others books still.”  
  
Kanda scoffed under his breath. “Have fun,” He dully replied, still not sure how it was possible for one person to read so much and actually enjoy it.  
  
The response didn’t appear to put off Lavi, who merely beamed at Kanda amiably before heading off.  
  
Once Lavi was gone, Kanda took the books left and started to check them back in. He stopped when he got to the book Lavi had recommended though, and figured he might as well see what it was that Lavi had been so eager to share with Kanda. Truth by told, Kanda didn’t have high expectations at all.  
  
Flipping the book open, Kanda glanced through some of the pages. There were some interesting photos and illustrations in it, and surprisingly enough Kanda found himself stopping to look at a few of them. Well, hell, maybe Kanda would have to eat crow after all if this book was actually of some interest to him. He still wouldn’t admit that to Lavi though.  
  
Kanda remembered he was supposed to go to page 180. Flipping ahead, he found the page pretty quickly; it was a section on water lilies.  
  
But, that wasn’t what caught Kanda’s attention.  
  
Inside the book was a folded sheet of paper, with Kanda’s name written on it. Kanda was immediately wary; _why_ was there a folded sheet of paper with his name on it?  
  
Well, Kanda clearly wasn’t going to leave it in the book. He took it out, and glanced around to make sure no one was coming to the circulation desk anytime soon. When he was convinced he wouldn’t be bothered at least for a few minutes, he opened the paper and saw a small message scribbled in it.  
  
_Hey! Let’s hang out sometime._  
  
There was just that and a cell number.  
  
Ears hot, Kanda quickly put down the paper, as though hiding the message would somehow erase that he saw it. He kept his face slightly lowered too, as he was _pretty_ sure his cheeks were flushed or something else embarrassing.  
  
Not that it was a big deal. Lavi had _only_ left Kanda his number, and asked to hang out.  
  
Yeah. No big deal.  
  
And Kanda’s heart racing was no big deal either.  
  
Shaking his head, Kanda tried to distract himself by checking in the other books, and setting them on the cart to be re-shelved later. To his annoyance, the task was only so distracting, and Kanda’s mind inevitably went back the damn number Lavi had left for Kanda.  
  
It was ridiculous – Kanda had no reason to feel this flustered over it. He definitely didn’t owe Lavi anything, and it wasn’t like anyone would force him to keep the number. Kanda had never had trouble ignoring people before.  
  
Then again, no one ever was ballsy enough to give their number to Kanda.  
  
Whatever – Kanda just wouldn’t deal with it. As soon as he was done putting away the books, he would toss the note and never give it a second thought.  


* * *

  
  
It was later in the evening when Lavi got home. After classes, he had gone to work for a few hours at his grandfather’s old, secondhand bookstore. It was an easy enough job despite the old man’s nagging, but Lavi loved it all the same. The afternoon’s shift had been somewhat challenging though, as Lavi’s mind had continued to flicker back to a certain grouchy librarian.  
  
Lavi didn’t know what it was that had compelled him to leave Kanda his number. Heck, Lavi didn’t even know what it was about Kanda that _interested_ him to begin with. Kanda hadn’t had the most amiable behavior either, so for all Lavi knew the librarian had tossed the note as soon as he had seen it.  
  
…Which might make going to the library just a _little_ awkward if that were the case.  
  
Tossing his book bag onto the ground, Lavi fell onto the bed, trying not to think about how he would already have to get up early the next day for class. Or about whether or not Kanda would text him.  
  
His cellphone buzz, and Lavi pulled it out. He expected it to be Allen, one of his closest friends and classmates, but he was surprised when he saw a text from an unrecognizable number.  
  
_Hey._  
  
Lavi blinked, before he realized that it could only be one specific person. An excitable flurry budding in his chest, Lavi grinned and texted back, _Is this my favorite librarian? ;D_  
  
The three dots appeared, signifying a reply was being written, then disappeared. Lavi stifled a chuckle as he envisioned what Kanda’s expression must have been.  
  
A reply finally came: _Don’t make me regret texting you._  
  
A short laugh escaped Lavi. He could practically _hear_ Kanda saying it, and Lavi was quick to text another reply. _So, you want to hang out after all?_  
  
.A few more dots appeared, and Lavi was patient as he waited. Kanda’s answer came in a decent amount of time.  
  
_Why else would I be texting you?_  
  
Truthfully, the answer made Lavi _very_ happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine’s Day! This was a part of the DGM Secret Valentine event, and this little fic is for the lovely Incarnandine! I hope you enjoyed it, as well as anyone else who read it - it was my very first time writing Laviyuu, but I really enjoyed it (and to be honest I wanted to write more for this, so for all we know there could be a second part coming sometime in the future XD). 
> 
> Also, Kanda and Lavi are such dorks. Such adorable, precious dorks. But at least Lavi can get the ball rolling between these two. (Kanda, though? What are feelings? Does he even know what feelings are? XD)


	2. Of Storms and Sleepovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kanda wasn’t afraid of storms. And the fact that Lavi was coming over had nothing to do with it. That’s what Kanda told himself, at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Started off as a prompt for Laviyuu week, then ended up taking place in the same universe as Between the Pages. So, you could read this alone, but it might make a bit more sense if you read that first chapter. XD Anyways, I imagine this probably happens after Kanda and Lavi have hung out a few times. Expect fluff.
> 
> Laviyuu Week 2018 Prompt, Day 4: Lighting, Darkness, Energy, Danger, Tension, Evanescent.

A lot of people liked storms.  They liked the soothing melody of rain as it trickled down window panes, or the whistling way the wind loved to sing.  Some might have even gone as far to call it relaxing, and some  _therapeutic_.  
  
Kanda disagreed.  He hated storms.  The rain was a cacophony of droplets, and the wind  _screamed_  – there was hardly anything tranquil about it. Kanda couldn’t even fathom what anyone would find pleasing about it.  Storms were distracting, and unsettling; they made it difficult to think, focus, or  _sleep_  –   
  
The room lit up in the darkness, as everything briefly flickered in white illumination.  Kanda instinctively shut his eyes, knowing what would follow only seconds after.  
  
_Crash._  
  
It was silly. Silly, and even a little embarrassing. The sound of thunder cracking, loud and whip-like, always sent a shudder through Kanda.  It didn’t matter how much he tried to prepare for it, or how much Kanda tried to reassure himself that it was nothing to be afraid of – the sound just exploded into his ears like an alarm each time, sending a fresh rush of adrenaline through him.    
  
A second flash of lightning appeared, followed by another crack of thunder – this time louder.  Kanda cursed, and reached over to the nightstand in the darkness.  Damn it, didn’t he have earplugs somewhere?  
  
When Kanda couldn’t find them, he turned on the flashlight on his phone.  He didn’t see them, and knowing Kanda’s luck the earplugs had probably rolled off and under the bed or something.  
  
Damn, unreliable,  _stupid_ earplugs.  
  
Kanda exhaled, and fell back onto his pillow.  Realistically, he knew he wouldn’t fall asleep anytime soon – not with this  _horrendous noise_  coming from outside.  Kanda had been this way about storms for as long as he could remember, though.  He didn’t know  _why_  aside from the fact he just had never liked loud noises.  He’d been like that as a child too, so in the back of his mind Kanda had always hoped to have moved past it.  
  
Obviously, that had never happened.  
  
In an attempt to distract himself (since sleep was  _not_  about to happen anytime soon), Kanda looked at his phone. He wasn’t particular big on social media or anything, but it did offer a solid, mindless distraction – which was right now what Kanda needed.  
  
As he did this, Kanda only was able to successfully distract himself for so long. Since he wasn’t active with social media there wasn’t much to look at, and the occasional boom of thunder continued to derail his mind and caused his nerves to flare up.  
  
Unexpectedly, a text notification appeared on his phone.   It was a picture from Lavi, and one of a lightning bolt – probably of the storm out side. The text read, _CHECK IT OUTTTTT IT’S SO LIT._  
  
Kanda wanted to roll his eyes. Was that supposed to be an idiotic pun? Probably. Lavi always loved to send those to Kanda for whatever reason.  
  
Kanda texted back.  
  
_Yeah. Lit and keeping me the fuck awake.  
  
_ Kanda sent it as there was another flash, then crash of thunder. Fuck, he hoped this storm would be over soon.  
  
Another text came in. _Oh shit, and you’re usually dead to the world by now. Really can’t sleep because of the storm?  
  
_ Kanda frowned when he read this. Well, of course he couldn’t sleep – how could anyone with this noise? People who fell asleep to storms were a goddamn _mystery_ to Kanda. He texted back a quick _No._  
  
The three dots appeared, signifying that Lavi was texting another message. But then they disappeared. Kanda frowned. Why the hell was Lavi backtracking? Usually Lavi could care less about filtering.  
  
But when the text came through, Kanda floundered a bit.  
  
_I can come over if you want_  
  
Wait, was Lavi serious? Kanda glanced outside. In _this_ weather? Oh fuck that – Lavi would have to be insane to venture outside when it was like this.  
  
_Pretty sure you’d get struck by lightning if you tried that,_ Kanda texted back.  
  
Another quick response. _Uh huh. I’m not THAT tall.:P_  
  
Kanda scoffed under his breath, but a loud _boom_ made him flinch. Kanda tried to ignore it and focus on texting. _It’s too far and it’d be stupid to get out._ And dangerous, but Kanda didn’t add that.  
  
_I don’t live that far from you. You sound kind of freaked out._  
  
How the hell could Lavi tell how Kanda sounded over _text?_ Kanda wondered this, but didn’t have time to process the possible explanation before a second text from Lavi came through.  
  
_Okay, it’s settled. I’ll be over in a bit._  
  
Kanda stared, mouth slightly agape.   The actual fuck? Was this idiot about to come over after goddamn midnight during a storm? Who even _was_ this moron?  
  
Kanda texted Lavi a firm _It’s not safe. Don’t do it_ , but he didn’t get a reply back. Which meant the idiot had probably already left.  
  
An aggravated sigh escaped Kanda. Great. Now Lavi was on his way over in the middle of a dumb storm. God, Kanda did _not_ want to be responsible for his charred body if he got struck down.  
  
Plus, it was just…awkward. Kanda and Lavi had only met a few weeks ago, while Kanda was working one of his shifts at the campus library and Lavi so _boldly_ decided to flirt with him. Which had been weird – Kanda didn’t even know what flirting was, or how the hell it worked let alone….dating? Was that what they were even doing now? Shit, Kanda had _no_ clue about any of this crap, though he and Lavi had hung out…a fair amount.  
  
Well, a lot. They had hung out a lot. They hadn’t actually _done_ anything – aside from Lavi occasionally brushing his hand against Kanda’s, or placing a hand on Kanda’s shoulders. But the actions were always subtle, as though Lavi were trying to gage how Kanda felt about things. It was likely a challenge given that Kanda didn’t even know how he felt most of the time.  
  
He sighed. Stupid, annoying, _complicated_ things.  
  
Eventually, Kanda ended up going downstairs. He was the only one home, as his uncle Tiedoll was at some art conference out of town.  
  
Normally, Kanda wouldn’t have minded this. But this _storm_ …  
  
The wind outside picked up, and Kanda glanced at his phone. It was true Lavi didn’t live far from where Kanda was, but Kanda still felt a bit…aggravated that Lavi had decided to venture out into this madness.  
  
_‘If that idiot gets in an accident…’_ Kanda started to think, before there was a loud knock at the door.  
  
Without even really thinking, Kanda was quick to open it. The wind blew against the door intensely, and Kanda had to brace it. Some rain was blowing in as well, but there in the doorway was a soaked and disheveled Lavi.  
  
Yeah, Lavi definitely was a moron alright.  
  
Kanda scoffed. “Get in,” He muttered, moving so Lavi could hurry in the door.  
  
Once Lavi was in, Kanda shut and locked the door while Lavi took his coat off. He turned to Kanda, grinning. “Nice night for a shower, huh?”  
  
“Tch. Just hold on,” Kanda spoke before going to grab a towel. He returned quickly, and tossed it to Lavi. “That was stupid of you to come here.”  
  
Lavi’s smile remained lopsided, and he appeared hardly unfazed with Kanda’s sour disposition. “You act like I just traveled through hell and back,” He commented. “Seriously, I don’t live far, and the roads aren’t even that bad.”  
  
Kanda stared at Lavi. With how sopping wet he was, Kanda forgot that Lavi had probably driven – which actually, could have been more dangerous.  
  
Kanda exhaled. “Whatever. It was still stupid.”  
  
Another crash of thunder erupted, and Kanda flinched. _‘Fucking noise…’_  
  
Lavi noticed, and raised an eyebrow. “You seriously afraid of storms then?”  
  
“No,” Kanda replied, answer quick yet rigid. No, he wasn’t _afraid_ of storms. He just didn’t like them. There was a difference.  
  
Lavi’s expression was dubious, and for a second Kanda thought the redhead might press or tease him. Occasionally, Lavi was the taunting type; it was irritating, but what was even more irritating was how unpredictable he seemed to be about it.  
  
Like now, where Lavi _wasn’t_ pressing or taunting. Instead, he seemed to drop the topic oddly quickly.  
  
Kanda didn’t mind though, and was relieved by this.  
  
There was a slight pause, and Kanda suddenly was unsure of what to do, or let alone say. He also realized that aside from Lavi swinging by his place only a few times that Lavi had never hung out at Kanda’s house. Usually since Tiedoll was around, Kanda avoided it because the last thing he needed was for his uncle to be all nosey about who Lavi was.  
  
Lavi was the one to break the silence. “You home alone tonight?”  
  
Kanda glanced at Lavi. “Yeah.”  
  
“Lucky. My gramps wouldn’t trust me home alone if his life depended on it.”  
  
“Hn. I wonder why _that_ would be…”  
  
Lavi laughed, voice light. “Aw, you act like I can’t be trusted or something,” Lavi asked as he caught Kanda’s gaze. He didn’t look away.  
  
Kanda froze a little. Lavi had done this before: just catch Kanda in his sight, and momentarily cause Kanda to feel paralyzed. Kanda just never…he never knew how to _react_ to that, and it made him feel weird.  
  
Kanda tore his gaze away, breaking eye contact. “You want some water or something?” He mumbled, quickly changing the subject.  
  
“Sure, water would be good.”  
  
“I’ll be right back,” Kanda said, quickly leaving Lavi in the living room area as he went to the kitchen.  
  
Once alone, Kanda exhaled and went over to the sink to get some water. As he did this, Kanda could feel himself go into autopilot, his mind starting to wander back to Lavi. God, Kanda just could not believe that Lavi actually _came_ over….  
  
Another flash of lightning outside illuminated the sky, and there was the sudden crackling of thunder. The noise this time was so loud that it actually startled Kanda completely, and he lost his grip on the glass of water. It fell to the ground and instantly shattered.  
  
Kanda cursed under his breath. “Fucking _hell_!”  
  
It was only a second before Kanda could hear Lavi run into the kitchen; when he turned, Kanda saw Lavi with a wide-eyed and worried look. “What happened!? I heard something break!”  
  
Kanda rolled his eyes., before he grabbed some paper towels to start soaking up the water, and moving the glass into a pile. “It was just a stupid glass…don’t get all worked up or anything.”  
  
Lavi frowned, then walked over. “Well, hey, let me help you get that.”  
  
He didn’t wait for Kanda to respond before kneeling down, assisting in cleaning up the water and glass. It was easier with two people, but despite it taking quicker to clean up Kanda found himself avoiding eye contact.  
  
Kanda was pretty sure Lavi was looking at him though.  
  
“So,” Lavi finally started as they finished cleaning up. “You just…drop it?”  
  
The inquiry made Kanda bristle a little. He whipped his head in Lavi’s direction, a somewhat offended look in his eyes. “So what if I did? Lots of people drop shit.”  
  
“Calm down – I didn’t mean anything bad by it,” Lavi said. By now, the playful edge to his voice had faded. “But I mean…are you okay? I thought you seemed edgy over text, but I mean, seeing you in person you _really_ are on edge.”  
  
Kanda exhaled, as he was now starting to _really_ feel exasperated. “I just don’t like storms,” He muttered.  
  
Lavi remained quiet, observing Kanda for a moment. Thunder crashed again, though this time it was more dully – but Kanda still flinched. “Let’s go back to the living room,” Lavi suggested.  
  
Since Kanda didn’t to disagree he nodded, and they both left the kitchen. Lavi sat down on one end of the couch, and Kanda sat on the other.  
  
There was some more silence that passed between them, neither saying anything for a bit. Again, Lavi was the one to speak first. “Not a fan of loud noises, huh?”  
  
Kanda glanced over at Lavi, then forward. He kept his expression neutral. “Not really.”  
  
Thoughtfully, Lavi stroke his chin. “Well…I guess it makes sense why you work in a library then….” He noted, before turning to Kanda. “I mean, given you’re not much of a reader or anything.”  
  
Kanda shrugged, but didn’t say anything at first. “Loud noises are irritating, but they’re not always an issue. Thunder just…sucks.”    
  
Lavi tilted his head thoughtfully. “So it is the storm after all.”  
  
Kanda remained silent.  
  
Leaning back against the arm of the couch, Lavi smiled. “Well, lucky for you _I_ don’t have to be anywhere in the morning,” He spoke, as his smile broadened. “We can say it’s our first slumber party.”  
  
A small snort escaped Kanda. “Seriously? We’re not five.”  
  
Lavi raised an eyebrow. “So?  
  
“So-“  
  
“I mean, I can go if you want-“  
  
“No!”  
  
The response spilled out of Kanda before he could even think to stop himself, and he didn’t even quite register his reaction until he noticed Lavi’s own surprised expression.  
  
There was an awkward pause that followed.  
  
Kanda looked away, but he could feel his face heat up a bit. _‘Great…’_  
  
Kanda felt something brush against his leg. He glanced down, and saw it was Lavi’s foot.  
  
When Kanda managed to shift his focus upward onto Lavi’s face, he saw there was a look that could only be described as…soft? Kanda didn’t know how to explain it. It made his breath hitch a little, but Kanda tried not to pay too much attention to that detail.  
  
“Hey,” Lavi started, his voice a bit gentler than it had been all night, “I’ll stay however long you want me to. I meant it when I said I didn’t have anywhere to be in the morning.”  
  
Kanda released a breath that almost could have been a scoff, but not quite. He didn’t know _why_ Lavi was acting like…like Kanda _needed_ someone around…  
  
But, Kanda didn’t ask Lavi to leave. For whatever reason, he just didn’t.

* * *

  
  
When Kanda woke up, he wasn’t sure where he was. He did realize he wasn’t in his bed.  
  
Groggily, he opened his eyes and tried to focus. He was leaning against the arm of something – the arm of the couch, Kanda remembered.  
  
That was right – he had fallen asleep in the living room.  
  
Next to him, Kanda could hear soft snoring. When Kanda looked over, he saw Lavi on the other end, arms hanging off and his body twisted into an awkward-looking position.  
  
_‘What an idiot…’_ Kanda mused, although his thoughts did not harbor the same annoyance they had previously.  
  
Lavi stirred, and before Kanda could prepare himself Lavi’s one visible eye opened. Sleepily, he smiled at Kanda. “Morning, sunshine.”  
  
Kanda returned the greeting with a deadpan stare.  
  
Lavi chuckled. “So did you get any sleep?”  
  
Kanda paused, then shrugged. “Yeah,” He murmured. His eyes then shifted over to Lavi somewhat hesitantly, then Kanda averted his gaze once more. “Thanks…for staying.”  
  
Lavi blinked, not quite having expected Kanda to thank him. But his lips upturned into a small, half-smile. “Anytime.”  
  
They fell into a comfortable silence after that. Kanda wasn’t sure how much time had even passed, but eventually they both would need to get on with their day. Even though Lavi had said he had nowhere he really needed to be, Kanda knew he had things he would need to do, and Lavi had already done more than enough by spending the whole _night_ with Kanda.  
  
Damn. That was weird to think about.  
  
As if reading Kanda’s mind, Lavi glanced at Kanda, looking a tad awkward. “Ah, if you have to do anything I can let you go-“  
  
Kanda nodded, feeling strangely awkward as well. “Yeah,” He said, before adding as a sort of afterthought. “I’ll…walk you to the door.”  
  
They got up from the couch, both a little stiff from the odd positions they had fallen asleep in. Neither spoke as they did this or walked to the front door, although Kanda couldn’t help but _feel_ like he should say something. He didn’t know what or why, but being quiet just felt…odd.  
  
Lavi put on his shoes, then turned to Kanda before leaving. “I don’t think there’s supposed to be anymore thunderstorms for a while – it looks like it’s just raining a little, but that’s it,” Lavi commented, smile tired and soft. “But if one _does_ come up, you know you can call me.”  
  
Once again, Kanda could feel the heat rise to his face and it was hard to look at Lavi. “It’s not like I need someone every time…” Kanda grumbled, not wanting Lavi to think that Kanda couldn’t handle it or anything. Even if it _had_ been sort of nice to have him there…  
  
A small, breathless laugh escaped Lavi. “Damn, you can be stubborn,” He mused, before leaning in a little, his face close to the side of Kanda’s. “But I really like that about you.”  
  
Kanda felt his heart speed up a little due to the proximity. He could feel Lavi’s breath against his cheek.  
  
Lavi pulled back, but his hand just barely brushed against Kanda’s. “Let’s see each other again soon, okay? Don’t worry about waiting until the next storm.”  
  
Kanda could only nod, the words lodged in his throat. For some reason he felt breathless.  
  
Lavi grinned. “I’ll see ya,” He said, before turning to head out.  
  
“Hey.”  
  
Lavi stopped, and turned back. There was a slightly bewildered look on his face.  
  
Kanda felt himself go a little rigid – he didn’t know why he’d stopped Lavi from leaving right then. Quickly, Kanda tried to scramble to think of something to say or _anything_ that in that moment might seem rational.  
  
“…Be careful. Going back,” Kanda finally forced out, though the words might have seemed silly. It was raining, but was now more of a light rain, and nothing like what had been coming down during the night.  
  
Lavi stared for a moment, and didn’t say anything at first. His expression was almost unreadable, but something flickered within his emerald gaze – something like a little spark of warmth.  
  
Approaching Kanda again, Lavi once more brushed their hands together before taking hold of Kanda’s hand. He pulled Kanda in.  
  
Then, Lavi kissed Kanda.  
  
It was soft, and nothing more than their lips brushing against each other; Kanda could feel his body tense up a bit at first, slightly taken aback by the action. But before he knew it, Kanda felt himself relax, his heart pounding in his chest.  
  
All too quickly, Lavi pulled away.  
  
Smiling, Lavi still held onto Kanda’s hand a few seconds longer. “Later,” He whispered, before finally releasing his hold.  
  
Kanda could hardly say a thing after, and was only able to watch Lavi leave.  
  
Maybe it had been a good thing Lavi came after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone who knows me personally knows I’m actually terrified of thunderstorms as well. I always thought it’d be interesting to make Kanda afraid of them in some modern AU.
> 
> Eventually, there will be other additions to this story. I really have grown to love Kanda and Lavi in this, and their relationship development is something I’ve just really enjoyed writing in this universe. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed it!


End file.
